This design ensures that most of the energy that is produced is also consumed in the same location - similar to SHS, but with a major difference: neighbouring households can also interconnect and form power-sharing clusters, with smart algorithms redistributing excess power at 50VDC, which can be safely serviced by local community members with even just minimal training. Local Smart Power Distribution at reduced upfront costs inverters distributed and installed at each residence.generation and storage assets (i.e., solar panels and batteries), as well as.Mesh-grids, as opposed to centralized mini-grids, are: Okra mesh-grids (OMGs) combine the flexibility and speed of SHS with the dependability and energy supply characteristics of mini-grids for rural electrification. Okra Solar has developed a new third option to bridge the gap between SHS and mini-grids: mesh grids. Mesh Grids - Hardware and software for last-mile energy access (Photo: Okra solar) According to the World Bank, yearly mini-grid installations must quadruple to reach 2030 electrification targets, but their high capital and operating costs prevent them from doing so. So, when installed in last-mile zones, mini-grids have an average payback duration of at least 10 and as much as 20 years, with many failing to establish financial sustainability within that time. Thus, maintenance is costly and time-consuming in the case of a breakdown, resulting in service quality degradation.Īs a result, according to Okra Solar's own studies, around 50% of capital expenses go toward distribution infrastructure, and operational charges can contribute up to 40% of overall project costs. All of these assets can only be repaired by licensed personnel who usually have to travel great distances to remote installations. To safely distribute electricity over long distances while allowing for peak consumption, it is necessary to have high-maintenance assets such as high-voltage and high-current cabling, heavy duty transmission poles, and large inverters. The biggest disadvantage of constructing mini-grids for last-mile implementation is the high cost of distribution assets (e.g., poles, cables, inverters). Mini-grids, by their nature, are thus ill-fitted to serve these populations adequately. However, over half of the world's unenergized population - estimated at some 760 million people-live in rural communities with scattered households, sparse populations, and unpredictable energy consumption due to seasonal fluctuations in subsistence farming and other localized activities. Mini-grids are able to provide high amounts of useful electricity, making them ideal for densely inhabited regions lacking a dependable grid. Mini-grids, on the other hand, are based on a centralized architecture in which energy is generated and stored at a single location before being delivered all the way to separate residences. Though undoubtedly beneficial, SHS are an imperfect solution because they are ineffective in supplying productive electricity to developing communities when compared to power grid systems. However, they simply do not produce enough energy or power for the kind of productive usage that is essential for the long-term viability of last-mile electrification initiatives. SHS have provided millions of underprivileged people throughout the world with basic access to electricity for fundamentals such as lighting and phone charging, thanks to the technology’s flexibility, speed, and simplicity. Both of these technologies have advantages, but they have failed to provide dependable, productive, and economical electricity to the world's most distant locations. Traditionally, Solar Home Systems (SHS) and mini-grids have been the primary ways of supplying last-mile electrification for many years now. Disadvantages of Solar Home Systems and mini-grids for off-grid areas Their solutions strive to contribute to the UN SDGs 1, 3, 4 and 7 providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Sydney, Australia-based power distribution start-up Okra Solar has come up with alternative solutions that seek to combine the strengths of existing technologies while also providing innovations of their own. The World Bank estimates that there are some 760 million people worldwide who live off-grid of conventional power distribution technologies. In areas where economic, topographical, and weather conditions are a serious hindrance to the establishment of traditional power distribution chains, solutions that bridge the gaps left by existing technologies may hold the key to unlocking access to electricity in even the remotest communities. The 1 st alternative to mini-grids and solar home systems for rural electrificationĭespite advances in power generation and storage technologies, bringing electricity to the most far-flung reaches of the globe remains problematic due to difficulties in the distribution not just of power, but also of power technologies themselves.
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